Mountain View
The slash through the vegetation headed up the
mountain is the Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier National Park. Completed in 1932, the spectacular, 50 mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road bisects the park east to west. The paved two-lane highway spans the width of Glacier National Park and crosses the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot-high Logan Pass. It passes large glacial lakes and cedar forests in the lower valleys; canyons and cliffs; culminating at the windswept alpine tundra atop the pass. Scenic viewpoints and pullouts line the road offering dramatic views and photo opportunities. One thing I found interesting is that the view from the road varies depending on the direction you are traveling. I drove both ways a few of times and see different things each time.
The road is nationally significant for its design and monumental engineering accomplishments. The original roadbed, bridges, tunnels, culverts, retaining walls, and guard walls were built in the “NPS Rustic” style. Individually, these structures are often significant examples of period engineering and design philosophy; collectively, they comprise a vital, integral component of the road’s unique character. Most of these structures were designed to harmonize with the roadway setting by using native materials and by blending with landforms as much as possible.The Going-To-The-Sun Road is a National Historic Landmark, is included in the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Mountain View
The slash through the vegetation headed up the
mountain is the Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier National Park. Completed in 1932, the spectacular, 50 mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road bisects the park east to west. The paved two-lane highway spans the width of Glacier National Park and crosses the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot-high Logan Pass. It passes large glacial lakes and cedar forests in the lower valleys; canyons and cliffs; culminating at the windswept alpine tundra atop the pass. Scenic viewpoints and pullouts line the road offering dramatic views and photo opportunities. One thing I found interesting is that the view from the road varies depending on the direction you are traveling. I drove both ways a few of times and see different things each time.
The road is nationally significant for its design and monumental engineering accomplishments. The original roadbed, bridges, tunnels, culverts, retaining walls, and guard walls were built in the “NPS Rustic” style. Individually, these structures are often significant examples of period engineering and design philosophy; collectively, they comprise a vital, integral component of the road’s unique character. Most of these structures were designed to harmonize with the roadway setting by using native materials and by blending with landforms as much as possible.The Going-To-The-Sun Road is a National Historic Landmark, is included in the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.